- Arena Badminton Tan Sri Lee Loy Seng bore witness to more than 400 young shuttlers at the Allianz Junior Badminton Championship (AJBC) 2022 Qualifying Round Four in Ipoh last weekend.
- Thirteen-year-old Nur Aina Maisarah Muhammad Hatta had to dig deep to beat Baavanya Arumugam 25-27, 21-11, 21-19 to win the under-13 girl’s singles title. The duo then set aside their friendly rivalry to beat Anusha Ganesan-Low Hui Yein 21-13, 21-15 to clinch the under-13 girl’s doubles title.
- “This was a first for me, to win both events (singles and doubles) at a tournament. Baavanya and I always compete against each other, she wins some, and I win some. But we share a close bond, so it’s nice that we got this win together,” said Nur Aina from SMK Sri Intan, who has been partnering with Baavanya for a year.
- “Aina was already on a high after her win, so the match was a little challenging. But we are very competitive and know each other’s game well. So, we know how to motivate and give each other confidence on the court,” said Baavanya, who studies at Methodist Girls School.
- The duo will represent Perak in the girl’s doubles in a mixed team tournament in Johor Bahru later this month, before the AJBC Grand Finals at Stadium Bukit Juara, Kuala Lumpur, from 24 to 26 November.
- Supported by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) and the Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM), the AJBC consist of seven Qualifying Rounds to be held between July and November 2022. The finalists from all seven Qualifying Rounds will then come together for the AJBC Grand Finals from 24 to 26 November.
- The AJBC features four events – boy’s singles, boy’s doubles, girl’s singles, and girl’s doubles – in the Under-13 (13-year-olds and below) and Under-15 (14 to 15-year-olds) categories.
- Allianz Malaysia Berhad Chief Executive Officer Sean Wang said: “After a little break midway in the championship, we are glad to take the AJBC tournament on the road again. It is worthy of mention that the young talents in Ipoh surely did not disappoint as we had one of our highest turnouts of the Championships so far.”
- “As tournament organisers, this serves as a great endorsement of the tournament, but what continues to inspire and amaze us is the level of performance, talent, and gamesmanship that has been on display so far.”
- The qualifying round in Ipoh was made extra special with the addition of the Karnival Allianz4All 2022 that was held at the venue on 1 and 2 October. At the carnival, members of the public were able to participate in family activities with prizes worth up to RM10,000 up for grabs, enjoy food truck experience, and undergo free medical check-ups with carnival partners.
- AJBC Qualifying Round Four
- Under-13 Winners (13-year-olds and below)
- Boy’s Singles: Marcus Hang Yuq Hwei, SJKC Pooi Ming
- Boy’s Doubles: Marcus Hang Yug Hwei, SJKC Pooi Ming and Chia Chong Kim, International School of Kuantan
- Girl’s Singles: Nur Aina Maisarah Muhammad Hatta, SMK Sri Intan
- Girl’s Doubles: Nur Aina Maisarah Muhammad Hatta, SMK Sri Intan and Baavanya Arumugam, Methodist Girls School
- Under-15 Winners (14 to 15-year-olds)
- Boy’s Singles: Tiew Yi Cheng, SMK Methodist Telok Datok
- Boy’s Doubles: Tiew Yi Cheng and Tiew Wei Jie, SMK Methodist Telok Datok
- Girl’s Singles: Nurin Zahirah Haizal, SMK Dato’ Syed Omar
- Girl’s Doubles: Cheng Pei En, SM Poi Lam (SUWA) and Leong Jing Ee, SM Yuk Choy (SUWA)
AJBC Qualifying Rounds/Grand Finals Date and Venue
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| Date | Event | Venue |
| 22-24 July | Qualifying Round 1 | Sports Arena Puchong |
| Puchong, Selangor | ||
| 5-7 August | Qualifying Round 2 | Dewan Badminton KBA |
| Alor Setar, Kedah | ||
| 11-13 August | Qualifying Round 3 | Dewan Badminton Masterscaff |
| Kemaman, Terengganu | ||
| 30 September – 2 October | Qualifying Round 4 | Arena Badminton Tan Sri Lee Loy Seng |
| Ipoh, Perak | ||
| 14-16 October | Qualifying Round 5 | Universiti Sains Malaysia |
| Pulau Pinang | ||
| 4-6 November | Qualifying Round 6 | NZ Sports Arena |
| Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan | ||
| 11-13 November | Qualifying Round 7 | Havona Badminton Academy |
| Kluang, Johor | ||
| 24-26 November | Grand Finals | Stadium Juara, Bukit Kiara |
| Kuala Lumpur | ||
| 27-Nov | AJBC Camp | To be announced |
Nur Aina Maisarah Muhammad Hatta (left) and Baavanya Arumugam.
Nur Aina Maisarah Muhammad Hatta (back) and Baavanya Arumugam in action during the girl’s doubles at the Allianz Junior Badminton Championship (AJBC) 2022 Qualifying Round Four in Ipoh.
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